Caregiving…it’s my humble opinion that persons who are not caregivers seldom understand what it truly means to be one. We, as caregivers, are somewhat responsible for this ignorance, as we walk around pretending that all is well and that we’re okay, when the truth is that, most of the times, our lives are in shambles.
One aspect of our lives that is particularly impacted is our finances. Being a caregiver significantly impacts your bank account. Yes, I know we do not like to talk about money…for various reasons…and that’s why our behinds have remained poor, but the reason I felt like I needed to highlight this fact is because a lot of us caregivers are battling depression and anxiety because of the financial burden that we are under. Oh yes…and we tell no-one that we are struggling…barely holding on to our sanity by a thread. Our mental health is being negatively affected, but you would never know by looking at us…and that’s what scares me. The ugly truth is that most, if not all caregivers, are financially burdened.
We Are in Debt
Most of us, especially us siblings who have been given a responsibility that we did not sign up for, have not managed to even get our own lives together, much less to now be able to be responsible for another life. Our jobs are not enough to cover the cost of living plus therapy, transportation, classes, medical care, etc. that our loved ones need. We live from paycheck to paycheck. Our credit card debt appears to be insurmountable. The thought of saving is a joke. The thought of investing is a fantasy. We are under water, begging God to help us to come up for some air.
We Are Miserable
Life has not turned out to be what we thought it would. We are not living where we thought we would by now. We are not in the relationship we thought we would be in by now (if we are in a relationship). Our career is not where we thought it would be right now. Our current job sucks. Our life is like shattered glass on a floor and we have no clue how to put the pieces together.
Take A Breath
Here’s the thing…I know you feel overwhelmed almost every second of every day…and you have good reason to be… but what now? Are we just going to continue to go through the motions every day…waiting to see which day we’ll run out of steam? Or are we going to save ourselves? Yes, I know you’re tired and I know you’re tired of being tired and we all wish someone would just come and pay off all our debts and save us from insanity. Unfortunately, life doesn’t usually work like that. So, I’m asking you to garner what little strength you have left and let’s see if we can dig ourselves out of this financial hole that we are in.
Follow Me Over the Next Three Weeks
Check back here every Wednesday for the next three weeks (Nov 6 – 20, 2019), as we explore the initial steps that we can take to start to make a change in our finances. Financial stress is no joke. Let’s do what we can to ease this burden off ourselves. It is better to do something…no matter how small the step…than to remain stuck. Caregivers, it’s time we came up for some air!
I really understand what you’re saying in this article, it can be as annoying as it can be and at the same time frustrating, caregivers are like bridges, they tend to transport people across to the next level but they don’t have that chance to move ahead because of exhaustion that comes from helping others and this mainly leads to financial crisis which I the most detrimental. It’s nice of you to help.
Hello KingAndrea,
Thank you for understanding and sympathizing.
Cheers!
Some people are just like mini gods, they deserve to be worshipped, considering the kind of responsibility they take on and how they care for others before themselves. Caregivers are really trying, this is why their finances are always unstable. I believe that this 3 weeks mini course is going to be a great one…help that is truly needed. Thanks for offering a solution to this problem.
Hi Wildecoll,
Thank you for your kind words and thoughts towards caregivers. Indeed, we here at HappyDowns hope that this three week series will prove helpful.
Cheers!
Financial capability is one thing that should be considered when helping others. Caregivers, e.g. siblings, help each other and bear responsibility for the other, especially the older ones that supply their siblings with necessities. This puts such a heavy burden on this older sibling’s finances. I’m not disputing the act of giving or caring, I’m just saying it’s exhausting. Thanks for the help you’ve given, it’s much appreciated.
Hi Roslinecar,
You are right to say we should ensure that we can manage financially whatever responsibility that we take up. Unfortunately, for many caregivers, especially siblings, some responsibilities are thrusted upon them, and as you said, these can indeed prove to be stressful.
We really hope that this 3 part series will help to at least get caregivers started on their journey to better their finances.
Cheers!